The Child of Frost

What Mother Nature knows

Jack's P.O.V.

After being shown my true death, everyone faded away, as if they weren't there to begin with. It felt disorientating at first, but that was until I began to hear a familiar voice. "Jack?"

"What's going on with Jack? I've never seen this happen before?" Marcus said, sounding completely unlike himself. Was he worried over me? "Is that really him?"

The world around me grew brighter, almost as if the sun had finally broken out of the clouds instantly. "Jack, please open your eyes. Please, come back to me."

"He's not going to open his eyes like that." That voice. What is it doing to me? Every time I hear that voice, I can't help but scream as pain filled my body. It felt as if my heart was literally being ripped out of my chest. Like there's a hole growing inside me that can never be filled, but only keeps growing. "Young lady, it was never my intention to exchange Jack's lifespan. My original plan was to keep Jack by my side, but if I want to destroy Father Time, I have to sacrifice the boy he loves."

"What did you do to him!" Fawn? Is that really her? Or am I just imagining everything? Did Fear really say I was going to die? "Why are you putting him through so much pain!?"

"My nightmares are freezing his heart and harvesting his power. With Jack gone, no one can stand in my way. The more fear Jack experiences, the stronger I become."

"Coward." Marcus, finally sounding like himself, said, "you were afraid that the youngest member of Frost will defeat you, so you try to kill him. That is something only a coward would do."

"Whether it is the way of a coward or not, I will rid the world of Jack Frost, and with no one to control winter, Frost itself would seize to exist. Including the members." As the voice disappears again, I couldn't hold back another scream. It just hurts too much to try to hold it in.

The voices I was hearing were drowned out as the world around me turned into a frozen cave, ready to trap me inside forever. I didn't know what I was going to do. This ice is just too hard for one kid to break on his own, and without the power of Frost, I'm just plain old Jack.

Just as the walls had quickly rose up, they slowly melted away making me wonder what was going on. Stepping out of the small cave, I looked up to see a clear blue sky and a shining sun, confused about everything, but loving the beautiful view.

The wind carried Fawn's voice, reaching my ears with a sense of longing, "Jack, I love you, so please, open your eyes." I felt a tears land on my face, almost as if the sun itself was crying for me. "Jack, please..."

I have to open my eyes? Fawn is the one crying. Am I the reason why she's so sad? No. I don't want to cause her any unhappiness. If she says to open my eyes, then that's what I'm going to do. I have to wake up. I have to for Fawn, Father Winter, and everyone else who could have possibly been worried for me.

When I opened my eyes, I realized that I am in a completely different area from earlier. Am I at the river? "Wha... What happened to me? Why do I feel... so weak?" when the wind put me down, I couldn't help but feel worn out. I fell back to the ground, unable to stand on my own. "Fawn?"

It was Shard and Ron who threw my arms around their necks to help me stand, while Fawn tried her best to clear away her tears. "Jack, what happened to you? Why did you make Father Winter and Father Time worry about you?"

"I don't understand it myself," I whispered quietly. "What am I... Supposed to do?"

Father Winter gave up his life for me, and if it wasn't for the wind, Fawn would've gotten hurt too. I'm not sure how much power I have left, but I need to make it up to them. There's a reason I was being protected, but now it's my turn to protect the ones Father Winter left behind. My only question is how?

"We need to take him back to Father Time. Jack is too weak right no-" Ron started.

It was Marcus who had cut him off. "We need a natural healer. Jack needs to see Mother Nature."

The others stopped to stare at him, open mouthed. Mother Nature is known to be the most gentle woman of the earth, but she could also be a worst nightmare if you get on her bad side. Will she be able to heal me like Marcus said?

"Mother Nature? What could she do for Jack?" Fawn asked curiously.

Ron answered, "Mother Nature could do anything. She's the one who created everything around us. The trees. The animals. Everything was her doing."

"Mother Nature is a really beautiful woman. I can't wait to see her again!" Shard said excitedly, completely unlike his cool personality. I guess Mother Nature has that effect with everybody...

"Jack, do you think you can make it until we find Mother Nature?" Marcus asked me. I felt a pain in my chest as more energy drained out from my body. I couldn't handle the pain on my own, and it was obvious to all of them that I couldn't. "Jack!"

My legs felt weak, but without the help of Ron and Shard, I would have fallen to my knees. "Wh-Wh-What's going on?!" The weather around us grew extremely windy as a mini blizzard just began. My power was being used without my command. What's going on with winter? Why can't I control it?

"Jack, can you stop this? We can't let the human die," Marcus said as he lifted my face to look at him. "You have to control your magic, even if it hurts. You need to try to stop this."

"I-I can't co-control it. Too we-weak," I managed to spit out. My eyes grew heavy as exhaustion took over. As I closed my eyes, I noticed the pain gradually began to subside.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in Father Winter's domain, the sweet smell of roses filled the air. It was strange to find myself in the room I had spent so much time in when I still wasn't sure who I was. Father Winter had let me stay with him in this room until a house was built for me, but even then, I hardly ever wanted to stay alone.

"There are those pretty blue eyes I've been waiting to see. How are you feeling, Jack?" With a voice as smooth as honey and a smile as radiant as the sun, I looked up at Mother Nature to see her patting my head. "Are you still in pain, little one?"

I shook my head no and tried my best to sit up. "Mother Nature, what was wrong with me? Why can't I control the snow?"

"It's the cause of nightmares in your heart. Fear has connected you to him with the use of his nightmares." Her smile dropped into a frown as her hand went over my heart. "Little one, we have to separate you from Fear. His nightmares are stealing your strength and freezing your heart."

"Freezing my heart? How can that be?"

She nodded as she said, "it's possible, Jack. The children of Frost are all of those who have some sort of connection with frost. Like you, their human lives had ended in the cold, but their hearts were never frozen. Father Winter had made sure of it that at the end of their lives, the children wouldn't suffer the fate of a frozen heart."

"What happens if the heart is frozen?" I asked her, more curious than afraid.

"They are beyond saving. A human heart is a fragile thing, but if frozen, then the life it held could no longer be supported. Even for Frost, you children may not be bothered of the cold, but the ice could certainly end your life."